1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to systems for handling facsimile transmissions between conventional facsimile machines. More particularly, the present invention relates to systems and methods for avoiding high toll charges associated with long distance facsimile transmissions.
2. Background
As is well known in the art, facsimile (or xe2x80x9cfaxxe2x80x9d) machines transmit and receive digitized images representing scanned documents via built-in modems and the general telephone network. In the transmit mode, a facsimile machine scans a document to be transmitted with a charge coupled device (CCD) array. The control logic in a central microprocessor converts the information from the CCD array into a bit-mapped image of the scanned document and delivers the image to the modem for transmission.
The modem dials the number of the facsimile machine expected to receive the document image. When the facsimile transmission is via a public switched telephone network (PSTN), the transmission is treated as a typical telephone call for billing purposes. Therefore, when a telephone call placed from the telephone line used by the origination facsimile machine would be considered a long distance call, the facsimile transmission will incur a long distance charge.
As the frequency of facsimile transmissions has risen in recent years, so has the interest in reducing the telephone charges associated therewith.
One prior art solution is to equip general-purpose computers with software necessary for transmitting and receiving facsimile transmissions. In the receive mode, the software converts the received image into a document capable of viewing on a screen or reproduction by a printer. The transmit mode of such a computer additionally requires the use of a scanning device for digitizing the document to be transmitted.
In addition to using PSTNs, some general-purpose computers have also begun to transmit and receive electronic documents via the Internet. In such an arrangement, the transmission and reception can be via internet service providers as part of flat-rate monthly services, obviating the need to incur long distance charges through a PSTN.
The use of general-purpose computers as part of facsimile systems via the Internet may eliminate long distance charges, but introduces other problems. For example, computers are required on both the transmission and receiving end. This ignores the large worldwide installed base of conventional facsimile machines that are not integrated into general-purpose computers.
Another approach to using the Internet for facsimile transmissions is the Internet Telephony Server (ITS) developed by Lucent Technologies, Inc., the assignee of this Letters Patent. The ITS system allows a conventional facsimile machine connected to a Private Branch Exchange (PBX) network to dial an origination ITS (also connected to the PBX) and forward facsimile calls to a destination ITS. The link between the origination and destination ITSs is via the Internet using the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), a networking protocol.
The aforementioned approach also has shortcomings. In addition to requiring the use of PBXs, the ITS approach requires all facsimile transmissions to be sent in real time. While long distance charges are avoided, both the transmitting and receiving facsimile machines are xe2x80x9ctied upxe2x80x9d until after the document(s) has (have) been received.
In view of the aforementioned problems and deficiencies of the prior art, the present invention provides a method of transporting electronic face simile (fax) documents. The method has several steps including, establishing a telephone link between a first fax machine and a first Local Exchange Carrier (LEC), the first LEC being coupled to a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), transmitting a destination telephone number and an electronic fax document from the first fax machine to the first LEC, and supplying a Wide Area Network (WAN) address for a second Internet Fax Gateway (IFG) to a first IFG, the first IFG being coupled to the first LEC, the second IFG being coupled to a second LEC, and the second LEC also being coupled to the PSTN.
The method also includes the steps of, via the first IFG, receiving the fax document from the first LEC and transmitting the fax document over a WAN to the second IFG using a WAN protocol, and via the second IFG, sending the destination number and the fax document in a form compatible with a second fax machine, to the second LEC. Additional steps include establishing a telephone link between the second LEC and the second fax machine, and transmitting the fax document from the second LEC to the second fax machine.
The present invention also provides a system for transporting electronic fax documents. The system at least includes a first LEC coupled to a PSTN, a first fax machine adapted to establish a telephone link between the first fax machine and the first LEC, and the first fax machine also being adapted to transmit a destination telephone number and an electronic fax document from the first fax machine to the first LEC. The system also includes a first IFG coupled to the first LEC, a second LEC coupled to the PSTN, a second IFG coupled to the second LEC, a WAN coupled to the first IFG and the second IFG, and a second fax machine coupled via a telephone link to the second LEC.
The first LEC is adapted to supply a WAN address for the second IFG, and the first IFG is adapted to receive the fax document from the first LEC and transmit it over the WAN to the second IFG using a WAN protocol. The second IFG is adapted to send the destination number along with the fax document in a form compatible with the second fax machine to the second LEC. The second LEC is adapted to transmit the fax document to the second fax machine.